Dhoni launches own bike racing team

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose passion for bikes is well known, has floated his own racing team which is now competing in FIM Supersport World Championship.

The championship is a support race for the World Superbike championship, which will make its India debut next year in March.

The team, named as MSD R-N Racing Team India, entered the 17-race championship in the 10th race at Brno, Czech Republic and is expected to compete full season in 2013.

The team has two riders in Florian Marino of France and Dan Linfoot of Great Britain.

Marino is a four-time Superstock 600 race winner, and was a full time Honda WSS rider last year. Linfoot had won two Superstock 600 races in 2008. The squad has its base at Yeovil in the UK and technical director will be Andrew Stone.

Team principal Amit Sandill said the they aim to popularise and grow the game in Asia.

"We are looking at it from the long term perspective. Trying to grow the sport in Asia. The sport itself is in a pretty nascent stage in Asia so this is a first step," Sandill had said at the launch of the team in July.

"Trying to get to the championship and making a kind of mark in the championship and then take the sport to India and then other countries in Asia. We would also like to start a Racing Academy. Behind all this is the passion, which comes as a bonus," he said.